Police accused of bribe, apathy

KHANEWAL: The wife of a retired soldier has appealed to the top executive and judicial officers to ensure arrest of the killers of her daughter and action against police “apathy”.

The third-year student of Government Degree College for Women Khanewal had been killed by tractor riders when she was going to the college with her brother Awais by bike. Awais was also seriously injured and is still under treatment.

Marrium, a resident of Chak 14/9R Batiyanwala, said that his husband Muhammad Abdal Bati served Pak Army and was retired in 2009. Iffat Abdal along with her brother Awais were near railway crossing in front of an oil agency when the tractor riders hit their bike. She had died during her way to hospital while her brother was seriously injured.

After the incident, they approached Makhdoompur police station for registration of an FIR and, she allege, Rs23,000 bribe was given to SHO Akram and IO Nazar Shah on their demand. The FIR (15/14) was registered under section 279,320,337-G against accused Muhammad Asghar and Ch Iqbal. She also alleged that the police had taken bribe from the accused as well and were unwilling to arrest them. When contacted, the policemen denied the allegation.

Moot on minorities rights: BETHAK-Pakistan organised a conference titled “Situation of Minority Rights in Punjab” which was attended by a large number of people from all walks of life.

On the occasion, Cecil Paul, a social activist enunciated that the society had been bifurcated into several units that was why a collective consciousness could not be achieved even up till now, which was the fundamental need of all communities to turn into a nation. He demanded that the minorities be given notable representation in all the institutions of government so that their reservations may be redressed.
Shahzad Francis, Rao Noushad Ali, Dr Salamat Ali Sindhu, Afzal Humdani, Syed Basit Tirmizi, Rozina Perveen, Roshan Sikandar, Patricia Margaret, Francis Jacob and Bahsir Ahmad also addressed the participants.